ICE makes arrests in Carthage, Webb City, Neosho

John Hacker

Tuesday

Feb 26, 2008 at 12:01 AMFeb 26, 2008 at 7:29 AM

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials arrested 34 fugitive aliens in several Missouri cities, including Carthage, Neosho, Webb City and Joplin. The arrests were part of a four-day, six-state sweep that ended Monday and saw a total of 225 illegal immigrants arrested across the country.

Immigrations enforcement teams arrested several “fugitive aliens” in Carthage, Neosho, Webb City and Joplin as part of a four-day, six-state sweep that ended on Monday.

Carl Rusnok, spokesman for the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency, said 34 men and women were arrested in Missouri, and a total of 225 were arrested in six states.

Rusnok said he did not have the numbers for specific cities, but the 34 people arrested in Missouri were picked up in Carthage, Neosho, Webb City, Joplin, Springfield, Monett, Branson and Willow Springs.

Of the 34 arrested in Missouri, 10 were fugitives and two were aliens with criminal convictions.

Those arrested were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and the Philippines.

“Our teams working together across six states today sent a strong message to those who choose to disregard our nation’s laws,” said Julie L. Myers, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for ICE. “If you ignore a judge’s order of removal, ICE will find you, arrest you, and you will be returned to your home country.”

The arrests in Missouri were made by one of 75 “Fugitive Operations Teams” established nationwide and specially trained and dedicated to identifying, locating and arresting aliens who have fled after receiving deportation orders.

Fugitive aliens are illegal immigrants who fail to leave the country after having been ordered to do so by a federal immigration judge.

ICE established its Fugitive Operations Program in 2003 to eliminate the nation’s backlog of immigration fugitives and ensure that deportation orders handed down by immigration judges are enforced. The teams prioritize cases involving immigration violators who pose a threat to national security and community safety. These include child sexual predators, suspected gang members and those who have convictions for any violent crimes.